Barcelona concede four goals in Alvaréz’s storm

Barcelona’s hopes of a smooth passage to the Copa del Rey final suffered a severe blow on Thursday night as they fell 4-0 to Atlético Madrid in the first leg of the semi-final at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. Despite dominating possession and most statistical measures, the reigning champions were unable to break Atlético’s defence, while Diego Simeone’s side capitalised ruthlessly on their chances.

The hosts’ goals came from Antoine Griezmann, Ademola Lookman, and Julián Álvarez, alongside an own goal from Barcelona goalkeeper Eric García. With this commanding victory, Atlético now have one foot firmly in the final, with the second leg scheduled at Camp Nou on 3 March.

Match Overview

Barcelona were under pressure from the very first whistle. The absence of key players Rafinha and Marcus Rashford due to injury disrupted the team’s rhythm. Within three minutes, Atlético had already carved out a major opportunity, only for García to block Juliano Simeone’s strike. However, a defensive lapse soon handed the hosts the lead when García miscontrolled a back-pass, allowing the ball to roll into his own net.

At the 14th minute, Griezmann doubled the lead with a precise shot following a pass from Nahuel Molina. Barcelona had a chance to respond in the 20th minute when Ferran López’s volley struck the crossbar. On the counter, Atlético continued to threaten, with Julián Álvarez’s shot cleared off the line by Jules Koundé. The first half concluded with Lookman converting a low cross from Álvarez in the 33rd minute and Álvarez himself netting the fourth in added time, sealing a devastating first-leg result.

The second half saw Barcelona attempt a revival under Hans-Dieter Flick’s management. Pau Kuberski’s goal in the 52nd minute was disallowed for offside, while defender Eric García was shown a straight red card in the 85th minute, reducing the visitors to ten men. Late efforts, including a header from Ferran Torres, failed to alter the scoreline.

Last season, Barcelona had overturned Atlético in the semi-finals, progressing to the final after a 4-4 draw in the first leg and a 1-0 victory in the return. This time, however, the task is significantly harder: they must overcome a 4-0 deficit at Camp Nou to reach the final.

Key Match Events

Barcelona face a daunting challenge when they host Atlético on 3 March, needing to overturn a four-goal deficit to keep their Copa del Rey aspirations alive.